Our series EcoHomeLife Explains aims at explaining common sustainability terms and concepts in a short and easy-to-read format. In this edition, we’ll explain what the 1.5 degree target of the Paris Agreement means.
When we read about climate change and global warming, two terms crop up again and again: 1.5 degrees and Paris Agreement.
These two terms are often used interchangeably, as they’re linked and play a vital part in our fight against climate change and in averting a climate catastrophe.
Here we’ll explain what it means and how we can do our bit.
What Is The Paris Agreement?
It’s an international treaty that was agreed upon at COP21 in Paris, France, in 2015, between 196 countries. It was the result of two weeks of negotiations between the different countries.
COP stands for Conference of the Parties and is the UN’s climate conference, where leaders from most of the world’s countries come together to discuss climate change.
They also negotiate a resolution that will prevent a climate crisis, like the Paris Agreement.
This particular agreement is a legally binding treaty that came into force in November 2016. This means that the countries that signed it have a legal obligation to meet the target that was agreed.
And that’s where the 1.5 degrees come in…
The Goal Of The Agreement
The countries agreed to keep the Earth’s surface temperature well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Furthermore, they said they would make efforts to limit the temperature increase to below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Sounds a bit complicated, doesn’t it? So let’s break it down.
Before the Industrial Revolution, greenhouse gas emissions were relatively low. But once we started burning coal and other fossil fuels to power our new industries, emissions rose astronomically.
According to NASA’s research, the amount of CO2 in our atmosphere is now 150% higher than in 1750, when the Industrial Revolution only got started.
The increase in greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide (CO2) has caused the Earth’s surface temperature to rise, which we call global warming. This in turn has caused climate change. (Filonchyk et al., 2024)
And the impacts of climate change are becoming more and more apparent and devastating. Think about floods, droughts, wildfires, and storms all around the world.
In order to stop climate change and its impacts on us all, the signatory countries have agreed to take action to limit temperature increases to a level that won’t cause a climate crisis.
That means we have to go back to pre-industrial levels. However, it would be very difficult for us to go back to this level, given how reliant we are on technologies that produce greenhouse gas emissions.
So an acceptable limit above these pre-industrial levels is needed to allow us to continue using these technologies.
Under the Paris Agreement, this limit was set at well below 2 degrees Celsius, but with the proviso that all efforts should be made to keep it below 1.5 degrees.
However, since the treaty was signed, more and more research has been done. As a result, more recently, world leaders agreed that the limit to be achieved has to be below 1.5 degrees, rather than the well below 2 degrees limit initially set in the agreement.
Why 1.5 Degrees Celsius?
This figure hasn’t just been drawn out of a hat, but is based on scientific evidence. Scientists worked out the figures by identifying tipping points.
This means they researched at what temperatures certain irreversible events were happening, such as the melting of ice sheets.
The higher the temperature, the more of these tipping points we pass. And what researchers are finding is that 1.5 degrees is the maximum limit.
To prevent this crucial tipping points, the world has to find a way to stay below 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. (Armstrong McKay et al., 2022)
The Path To Staying Below 1.5 Degrees
So do we get to meet this 1.5 degree target of the Paris Agreement? The simple answer is to reduce human-made greenhouse gas emissions to zero.
Unfortunately, this is far from an easy task. To achieve it, we need to transform our economy and society. We need to change the way we live, which is very difficult and expensive.
It has to be done globally, by every country in the world. Here are just some of the things we have to fully transform:
- The way we produce energy – away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy
- The way we heat our homes – away from gas and oil and towards sustainable options such as heat pumps
- The way we fuel our cars and planes – away from petroleum towards sustainable fuels such as electric or biofuels
- The way we manufacture things – energy-intensive industries have to become green/net-zero
- The way we use resources – away from overuse towards sustainable use
- The way we make/spend money – we need to move away from a throwaway consumerist society towards a circular economy
There is no doubt that governments, industries, and big international corporations have to do the heavy lifting if we are to transform all these areas. We need countries to introduce the right policies, such as phasing out petrol vehicles, and gas and oil boilers.
The funding of renewable energy and the defunding and banning of fossil fuel extraction. We have to keep fossil fuels in the ground if we want to prevent the effects of climate change from becoming irreversible and catastrophic. (Rayner 2020)
We need industries to become green. This means moving away from the use of fossil fuels and their derivatives, such as plastics or petrochemicals. Finding ways to reduce the amount of resources industries use, such as energy, water, or materials.
Big corporations have to change the way they operate to become net-zero and sustainable. Taking sustainability and the environment into account at every turn and making them part of the decision-making process is vital for this.
Governments around the world have started to introduce climate policies:
- The UK has made it a law to become net-zero by 2050, drawing up climate change plans to achieve this.
- The EU also has net-zero targets and has a plan to make the EU economy a circular economy
- Canada’s plan to become net-zero by 2050 includes a plan to reduce the country’s emissions by 2030
Many other countries also have targets to become net-zero. China wants to achieve this by 2060, India by 2070, Russia by 2060, and Brazil by 2050.
While all this is good, progress is far too slow. According to the Climate Action Tracker, no country has policies or actions in place that are sufficient to reach the goal of keeping the surface temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
We All Can Do Our Bit
As we have said, in order to reach the target set in the Paris Agreement, governments, industries, and big corporations have to make big changes.
This fact might make you feel helpless and out of control. I’m the same. But there are things we can do as individuals to bring about change:
- Vote for the party that is most likely to make the right decisions for our environment
- Withhold your support for big corporations that don’t have climate policies and take climate action
These actions will bring about change over time. As more and more people demand that politicians, industry and corporate leaders take action to achieve net-zero emissions, change will happen.
But there are other things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint and GHG emissions. Of course, it won’t replace the need for changes required from governments, industries, and corporations.
However, it can make you feel better, and that you’re contributing to the solution. It helped me to get rid of this feeling of helplessness, anxiety, and fear about the future.
These are the things we can all do:
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (in this order!) – we are buying far too much, with fast fashion being a prime example – think before you buy, reuse what you have, and recycle whatever you can
- Reduce Plastic – wherever you look, you’ll find plastic – get rid of as much plastic as possible by switching to plastic-free alternatives and consciously choosing natural materials where possible
- Adopt sustainable practices – create a sustainable laundry routine, an eco-friendly cleaning routine, adopt sustainable gardening practices, change to an eco-friendly personal-care routine, eat less meat and more plant-based foods, etc.
- Use your car/motorcycle less – walk, cycle, or take public transport to get about as much as possible – it won’t just reduce your carbon footprint, but will also be better for your health
- Buy from sustainable companies – choose to buy from businesses that care about our environment and that work towards becoming net-zero, but be aware of greenwashing
- Be mindful of our environment – whatever you do, try to do what’s good for you and the environment
- Don’t fall for carbon offsetting schemes – these are just an excuse to allow us to continue as we are, and most of them don’t work.
We have to support climate action and not listen to arguments against it. A study has found that a discourse of inaction on climate actions undermines support for it. (Cherry et al., 2024)
So let’s not talk about inaction or delays when it comes to climate action. Let’s talk about what we can do and make it happen.
Achieving the 1.5 degree target of the Paris Agreement isn’t easy and will require a huge global effort. But it’s our only chance to avert a climate crisis where extreme weather events become the norm.
We have to work together because only international cooperation will do it. The scientific community has shown us the path, now we have to follow it.
